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The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development… it's not a ministry that regularly makes the news because as it is currently set up – the ministry exists mainly to dish out political patronage – and not to provide affordable housing.

Well, we found out today that the Ministry hasn't gotten any major donor funding, and so, their options are limited in how they serve the general public. That's what CEO Denton Belisle told us today at workshop designed to come up with a national housing policy. According to him, this national policy will allow them to approach international funding agencies with a clear plan on how the money would be used to achieve the goal, which is to get more poor people to own their own homes. Here's how he explained it:

Denton Belisle - CEO, Ministry of Housing & Urban Development

"This is a workshop which is an initial step - first step towards the elaboration of a national policy on social housing for Belize. Something which we recognise is needed at this point in time because we all know that the need for improvement in the number and the quality of housing that we have in Belize is tremendous. And so this is a first step towards the elaboration of a national comprehensive social housing policy for Belize. We have been actively involved recently in the deliberations and workshops for the SISCA. Which is the social integration system for Central America and they have a council of housing and human settlements and it based on that initiative that we came up with this proposal to develop a housing policy for Belize."

Daniel Ortiz

"How does it help those persons who want access to housing, want access to affordable housing. What would be the target for this ministry's efforts?"

Denton Belisle

"Once we have a policy in place we can then use that policy as the stepping stone to seek international funding from various international organisations for the construction of housing and improvement of housing in Belize."

Daniel Ortiz

"This policy is it in it's final stages? Is it in it's initial stages? Where are we right now?"

Denton Belisle

"it's initial stages, this is the first step in the process of developing that policy."

So, what major initiatives has the Ministry been making to provide affordable housing? We also asked the CEO about that, and here's how he responded:

Daniel Ortiz

"What's been happening in your ministry recently within the last 5 years?"

Denton Belisle

"Well you know and we only construct houses when we get grant funds from places like Venezuela and other international help that we get and we have not been doing a lot of that in the last 5 years. It's mostly small housing grant to improve existing homes for people that we've been doing over the last 5 years."

Daniel Ortiz

"How does one access those grants and what is the criteria which the ministry goes through to select persons who would get these housing grants?"

Denton Belisle

"Those are normally done through the elected representatives of the people. From time to time the government makes available small amounts of money for these home improvement grants and those are accessed through the elected representatives."

Daniel Ortiz

"Sir, those who've taken the view that the housing ministry doesn't do much? It's just there as some sort of clientelism type because as you explained persons - it's the minister who recommends. And there is that perception that if you don't have minister's support politically, if you're not supporting him politically - you don't get the kind of results other persons would want to get these housing grants approved. How does the ministry deal with that kind of perception? That keeps lingering"

Denton Belisle

"Well I cannot be faulted for that perception if it's out there. All I can tell you is, we try to be as equitable as possible in the distribution of these funds. They are channelled through the elected area representatives, we have to work with the elected area representatives in giving out these funds."

Daniel Ortiz

"Is there amy means by which those funds the access to them are by passed where you don't have to deal with the politics of an area representative to get these much needed help?"

Denton Belisle

"At presently there's no provision within the ministry for that type of assistance."

According to the CEO, they work with the Area Representatives from both the Government and the Opposition to provide homes for persons who qualify.